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No shortcuts on way to Junior's achievement
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- Dale Jr. would consider racing Indy 500
- Eury Jr.: Split with Junior was needed
- Mayfield won't race at Chicagoland
Analysis:
Sure, there were still 30,000 empty seats in Brooklyn — 90 minutes from the Motor City, home to what was once the "Big Three" — but for those who made the trek from all over the region it was an afternoon they won't soon forget.
Dale Earnhardt Jr., who had soldiered on for more than two years without a win, ended a drought which was likely extended due to the drama associated with his departure from DEI last year. But for Earnhardt and his crew chief/cousin Tony Eury Jr., a lot of the disappointments are now just distant memories, becoming ever smaller in the rearview mirror.
The cousins never doubted their move to Hendrick Motorsports. Why should they? It is the premier organization in NASCAR. Every tool — personnel, technology and funding — exists to ensure success. And on a day when Tiger battled back to force a playoff in the U.S. Open and Kobe resuscitated the L.A. Lakers, Junior made the most of his Hendrick resources for the sweetest comeback of all.
Again, his joy was genuine. Neither he nor his fellow competitors needed a scolding from NASCAR president Mike Helton to stop complaining about the new car. Struggle must be woven into the story's fabric. It makes the victories that much sweeter. And on Sunday, Earnhardt was himself — so real, so completely grateful for the opportunity he has been given and the promise of what lies ahead. Nothing was forced. Not the smiles. Not the hugs. Not the laughter.
Racers showing uncensored emotion should be at the core of "back to basics" racing. Stepford drivers will not compel fans to tune in on TV let alone make the investment in a three-day weekend at the racetrack.
Now let's get back on track to this weekend's action.
We'll continue with good stuff:
1. First things first — The Craftsman Truck race on Saturday at Michigan was must-see TV. In front of a crowd of more than 60,000, Erik Darnell beat veteran Johnny Benson to the line by a mere 0.005 seconds. It was the first win of the season for Ford, the second career win for Darnell and Benson took the point leads. The top six drivers are separated by just 73 points. And despite a fire sale for title sponsorship next season, there have been no takers. Some crazy dot com company should come along and donate $3 million to "put your name here" on this series. This is still the best racing in NASCAR.
2. Bruton's Bash — Five hours to the south of Michigan not only did the Kentucky Speedway enjoy a complete sell-out, 4,000-standing room only seats were made available to the public at $40 a pop. Despite the popularity of this event, NASCAR chairman Brian France said at Charlotte last month, "It's not a market we have said is highly desirable. It's well-served." Yet, when some tracks are fighting to fill seats fans were willing to stand for 200 laps over two hours and experienced the first-time win of Joey "the second coming" Logano. Now that is better than sliced bread. The philosophy "if you build it, they will come" doesn't always work as evident at California Speedway. A business must be where it's viable. The model in Sparta, Ky. works and Speedway Motorsports will only make it better.
3. Finishing fifth for a good cause — Tony Stewart will donate a portion of his $136,986 winnings from the LifeLock 400 to the American Red Cross for the flood victims in his hometown of Columbus, Ind.
Now back to the drawing board:
1. Mistakes happen... — Says Matt Kenseth, who finished third in the Cup race on Sunday and undoubtedly had his dreams of a win dashed when his designated official accidently blocked the way of the No. 17 Ford. "Everybody makes mistakes, but it was just a weird incident with an official," Kenseth said. "Usually when the guys come off of the right and go left, the official walks around and looks at the right side. Well, he kind of stopped, and froze like a deer in the headlights right in front of my headlights and my guys were only getting two tires and my guys were gone. I couldn't go because he was standing there. I couldn't run him over. So yeah, it cost us a couple of spots. You can't do anything about it." Perhaps, something can be done about it. Certainly, the official feels as bad as Kenseth, but it can't be emphasized enough how critical the stops are to a team's success and more importantly how dangerous pit road can be.
2. Pit road calamity II — Brian Vickers is still wondering how Mark Martin was scored ahead of him despite the fact that he passed the No. 8 car two laps before the caution came out. "For some reason, NASCAR wanted to put (Martin) back in front of us," Vickers said. "I'd love an explanation. I'm not exactly sure how that works. It wasn't like we were even side-by-side. We passed them like two laps before the caution and that pretty much cost us the race right there in my mind." GM Jay Frye took his concern up with the trailer, but to no avail. Vickers had a dominant car. He led 44 laps throughout the race. Only Jimmie Johnson led more (65).
3. He said, she said — NASCAR chairman Brian France addressed the media Saturday at Michigan International Speedway regarding the $225 million lawsuit filed by Mauricia Grant claiming allegations of sexual harassment and racial and gender discrimination. But France wasn't nearly as forthcoming with providing solutions to eliminating any perceptions that discrimination exists. At least 27 off-site interviews were conducted near Kentucky Speedway last week by investigators comprised by NASCAR's human resources and legal departments and two employees subsequently were put on paid leave. Regardless of what happens with the lawsuit, NASCAR must be more proactive than reactive and a stronger effort must be made to replace narrow minded individuals and achieve a more diverse garage.
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